Keta MCE justifies ‘smoke tax’

Mr Emmanuel Gemegah. the Municipal Chief Executive of Keta, has justified the collection of the new emission levy on vehicles, which starts from February 01

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) announced the Emissions Levy Act, 2023 (Act 1112), which imposes a levy on carbon dioxide and equivalent emissions on internal combustion engine vehicles to commence on February 01, 2024.

The levy that generated a lot of controversies among sections of Ghanaians sighting it as a burden on the already overburden Ghanaian particularly vehicle owners.

In an exclusive interview with Ghana News Agency on Thursday, the Municipal Chief Executive justified the collection of the levy saying, “This act was passed in Parliament by all the parliamentarians from the two parties, they gave their authority to the executive to collect this levy for development of the nation.”

He referred to an international law; “The Paris Accord or Paris Agreement” which was adopted on 12th December 2015 and came into force on 4th November 2016.

This agreement was meant to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and to achieve these, “States must enact relevant laws to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions to promote the use of eco-friendly technology and green energy.”

He also called on the Parliamentarians to help educate the public on it.

“I am calling on Mr. Kwame Gakpey, Mr. Richard Sefe and Madam Dzifa Gomashie to come down to educate our people on this new levy on how it came about, let us not make it look as if it was an imposition by the President or the Finance Minister on Ghanaians,” Mr. Gemegah said.

According to the act, Motorcycles and tricycles will be paying GHC75 per annum, Motor vehicles, buses, and coaches up to 3000 cubic centimetres will be charged GHC150 per annum, Motor vehicles, buses, and coaches above 3000 cubic centimetres will pay GHC300 per annum while Cargo trucks and articulated trucks are to pay GHC300 per annum.

Mr. Gemegah pleaded with citizens to accept the payment of the levy saying,

“Taxes develop a nation, we cannot expect government to build our schools, construct roads and provide us water if we do not pay taxes and levies, so as citizens, let us embrace the culture of paying taxes to help change our communities.”

Source:GNA